CLEVELAND – In accordance with Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s Proclamation of Civil Emergency, the City of Cleveland continues to take numerous precautions across multiple departments and divisions amid increasing cases of coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here to view the mayor’s declaration. As a reminder, the State of Ohio’s stay-at-home order goes into effect Monday, March 23, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. and will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on April 6, 2020. It is important to read the order in entirety.

“The governor’s stay-at-home order goes into effect tonight and this means you should not leave your home unless it is for essential matters,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “Our officers will respond to complaints of mass gatherings and to those not following the mandate. The governor’s directive is a critical health safety request to protect those who are most vulnerable to coronavirus and we fully expect Clevelanders will adhere to it. No one is immune to this virus, keep your social distance and stay home”

During this time, essential services such as Police, Fire, EMS, waste collection and Utilities are fully operational. There are still limited hours for the public to access some City buildings like City Hall for limited services and we have moved to an essential workforce until further notice.

Nine New Cases of COVID-19 in Cleveland

The Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH) today has been notified of nine more confirmed test results for coronavirus (COVID-19) in residents of the city. This brings the total to 36 confirmed cases. The new cases include males and females, whose ages range from under 1 years old to 80’s. CDPH is working to identify any close contacts of these residents who would require testing or monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19.

In order to protect the individuals’ privacy, the Cleveland Department of Public Health will not be releasing any additional demographic information related to this new case.

As of today, there have been more than 41,000 confirmed cases and 500 deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States. There

Department of Public Safety

Filing Police Reports via Phone, Online

In an effort to keep our police officers safe and minimize exposure to the public, the Division of Police has taken measures to ensure that members of the public can file police reports remotely. Effective Tuesday, March 24, 2020, a limited number of officers will be assigned as expediters for the purposes of taking police via phone for minor offenses. These officers will be members currently on restricted duty status and will not take away from the number of officers currently on patrol. Expediters will be available by phone from 7:00 am until 10:30 pm daily until further notice. Members of the public are reminded to adhere to CDC guidelines on social distancing if they choose to visit a police district building in person.

*Note: minor offenses include property damage, petty theft, lost property, theft from vehicle, theft of credit card, stolen vehicle (when suspect is not on scene and no one was injured or threatened), telephone harassment. In any cases where a crime of violence was committed or there is a current threat, citizens should call 9-1-1.

Addressing Mass Gatherings/Businesses Remaining Open:

The Division of Police will respond to complaints of businesses remaining open as well as complaints of mass gatherings of 10 more people in an effort to gain compliance with directives issued by the State of Ohio. Officers will collect information on any business failing to comply with these orders and seek guidance from the City of Cleveland Law Department and Prosecutor’s Office.

Personal Protective Equipment

The Department of Public Safety currently has a supply of Personal Protective Equipment, including N-95 masks, which is regularly evaluated. The department continues to monitor to ensure the Personal Protective Equipment is utilized appropriately and safely. The department also continues to manage this equipment in a way as to prevent waste.

Contact Tracing COVID-19+ Cases

The Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH) receives information on positive COVID-19 cases from a state-wide reporting system called ODRS (the Ohio Disease Reporting System). When we learn of a case, our first step is to verify the address of the case. This is a critical step because local public health departments are organized by jurisdictional boundaries; our jurisdiction is the City of Cleveland. Unfortunately, a large number of our cases do not have address when the results are inputted into ODRS. In these cases we work with partners at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and law enforcement to obtain contact information.

Making Contact

Once we make contact with an individual w/ confirmed COVID-19, we first check in to see how they are doing. We are often the deliverers of positive test results and this is handled with empathy and compassion. Questions that are asked as part of the case interview include the following: review symptoms and symptom on-set; occupation; close contacts of the individual such as household members, intimate partners, and anyone the individual may care for; second level contacts such as work, school, church, social gatherings, etc.; any travel history; and medical history. The names, phone numbers and relationships of contacts are recorded for subsequent contact tracing.

The interview concludes with instructions for the individual on self-isolation and information they will be receiving from CDPH. For each positive case, CDPH sends out a resource kit with information on what to do if symptoms worsen, community resources and telephone numbers. CDPH is also able to prepare a letter for individuals’ employers, releasing them from work during their self-isolation.

Contact Tracing

The next phase of the process is to trace contacts of known COVID-19+ cases. Confidentiality of the confirmed case is maintained throughout this process. When reaching out to a known contact, they are informed that they may have come into contact with a COVID-19+ case and through what outlet (e.g. school, work, concert, etc.). Interviewers then inquire as to how they feel; if they have any symptoms; and their occupations. Given the nature of these contacts, we often have to investigate further, especially if sensitive occupations are involved.

Close contacts are instructed to self-quarantine at home for 14 days and monitor themselves for symptoms consistent w/ COVID-19. Other contacts are evaluated based on their exposure to the confirmed COVID-19+ case.

High risk contacts are also provided with the resource kit and a work release if needed.

At present, we have deployed numerous CDPH staff from across the agency to be part of our COVID-19 response and contact tracing. Additional staff trainings are being planned as cases continue to increase and contact tracing needed. Staff education and resources have also been created as well as the interview and contact monitoring forms.

Department of Public Utilities

As a reminder, the drinking water is safe. While business is operating as normal, the Public Utilities Building is closed to the public. Cleveland Water customers can make payments and manage their account at myclevelandwater.com, by calling (216) 664-3130. Questions can be submitted via the inquiry form at clevelandwater.com/ask-a-question. CPP customers can make payments and manage their account at cpp.org. Inquiries and questions can be submitted via www.cpp.org/Contact

Cleveland Water and CPP customers may also use the dropbox located at 1201 Lakeside. Please include name and account number along with payment. Multiple accounts must be on separate checks.

To date:

CPP has reconnected 58 total customers

CWD has reconnected 445 total customers

Reminder about Grab-and-Go Meals for Youth

The City is partnering with the Children’s Hunger Alliance to temporarily provide meals for youth throughout the city. Meals are available Saturday, March 28 from noon to 1 p.m. and Mondays-Fridays from 4-5 p.m. until April 3. During the first day of meals on March 21, there were 98 meals served.

The City of Cleveland is committed to improving the quality of life of its residents by strengthening neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing diversity and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, play, and do business. For more information on the City of Cleveland, visit online at www.clevelandohio.gov, Twitter at @cityofcleveland, Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcleveland, or on our blog at clecityhall.com.

We are committed to improving the quality of life in the City of Cleveland by strengthening our neighborhoods, delivering superior services, embracing the diversity of our citizens, and making Cleveland a desirable, safe city in which to live, work, raise a family, shop, study, play and grow old.